Ethereal Grace
by Aleya
Summary: A young girl is found on the doorstep of the Hyperion Hotel. She wears a mysterious jewel...


Chapter 1: Unexpected Acquintances  
  
Author note: This is the first fanfic I'm writing, so please bear with me. I'm open to all comments, so please review. I own nothing and I'm not making any money from this. I'm in no way connected to Warner Bros. or the actors or actresses.  
  
Cordelia was once again getting some research done with Conner in the library. All the others were out on the street, patrolling. Ever since Wesley refused to be the one always with his nose in the books, they made shifts and today was their turn.  
  
Annoyed, Connor walked up to her table and threw an enourmous book on it.  
  
'Okay, or this is a rare, nigh uncatchable demon or someone's breeding new varieties,' he said while turning some pages, 'We're here for three full hours and still nothing.'  
  
With a sigh he took another book and started to read. After a few seconds of reading he said: 'Found it.'  
  
He pushed the book towards Cordelia. Slowly, she read a few lines. 'Samtek, ancient upper-class demon. Can transform himself into five different shapes, all of which are known... there are even drawings of them... hmm that's not such good news: can penetrate into it's victim's mind...'  
  
'So it can read people's mind?' Connor asked.  
  
Cordy nodded. 'And bend it to his own will. It must be terrible to be his victim.'  
  
Suddenly she had a flash. The Hyperion, door wide open. A girl in the doorstep. She didn't have sound, but the girl was clearly screaming out in pain.  
  
Trying desperately to slow down her heartbeat, Cordelia turned to Connor. 'A girl,' she whispered, 'At the Hyperion, we have to get there!'  
  
Tired, Angel, Fred, Charles and Wesley came back into the hotel. The night had been calm, nothing special. Just a lower-class demon or two who didn't give up on trouble-making. Ah well, life can't always be perfect.  
  
Remarking the blood spots on the carpet, Angel turned. 'Stay on your guard, someone's hurt. Watch out for sudden movement.'  
  
He followed the trail onto the stairs. 'Cordy?' he said uncertain, 'Connor?'  
  
Suddenly the door he had just passed opened and Connor stormed out, carrying an axe.  
  
He slowed down when he saw Angel and then lowered the axe.  
  
'Why are you here?' Angel asked, 'You and Cordy had a library shift. Found the demon already?'  
  
Connor nodded and called out to Cordelia. As she came out of the room Connor got back inside and Cordy started whispering. 'We found the demon, he's some kind of shape-shifter but as I was reading about him I had a vision about a girl on the doorstep of the Hyperion. She's here.' And she led Angel into the room.  
  
On the bed lay a young girl, about seventeen years old. Her darkblonde hair was tangled and the bandages that were around her head and her right arm were soaking with blood. She was fast asleep.  
  
'I tried to stop the bleeding, but it just kept on coming,' Cordelia said while Connor wiped some blood from her cheek, 'It's a bit less than when we just found her, but still. There must be something that relates her to the demon. I had the vision exactly on the second I touched the drawing.'  
  
'You know what's weird?' Connor turned towards his dad, 'She keeps on clutching this jewel around her neck; you couldn't get it out of her hand with all the force in the world.'  
  
'Hmm, I guess you're right,' Angel said, 'I'll just go get the rest.'  
  
By the time they all got back upstairs, the girl had woken up. Her green- grey eyes were fixed at Connor's face. She tried to speak, but no sound came out. Slowly, she removed her hand from the chain around her neck and a bright silver jewel shone in the fade light. Puzzled, Connor stared at her. There was something about her that he recognised, more some kind of feeling than an actualy physical feature. He turned to Wesley who was whispering with Angel.  
  
'I recognise her,' he said to them, 'Not physically but I don't know, spiritually or so. It's really strange, she feels familiar.'  
  
He focused on Wesley who was also staring at her. 'I know why,' he said, 'More than three thousand years ago, the greater spirits of good were persecuted by the source of all evil and it's creations. To preserve the world and all good beings, they poured their powers and grace into a jewel and confined it to a woman. The jewel would stay forever in her bloodline, passing from mother to daughter.' He flashed a look towards the jewel. 'This is the jewel of grace and the bearer is called the Source of all Good. I have some scrolls downstairs, maybe there's more on there.'  
  
After the rest accompanied Wesley downstairs, Connor took a chair and sat down next to the girl. 'You don't have to be afraid. We'll keep you safe,' he said, 'Can you speak?'  
  
The girl attempted to sit up, and Connor helped her. With some difficulties, she said: 'He's after the jewel.'  
  
'Who is after the jewel?'  
  
'Samtek.' The name came out as if it hurt her.  
  
'Do you know why?' Connor asked, but the answer was already coming in.  
  
'He wants to destroy the source of all Good,' Wesley said, 'Samtek was one of the first creations of evil. It's sole purpose was to find the jewel and turn it evil or destroy it. Through the ages, evil lost track of the bearer and the jewel. But now it is stirring.'  
  
Angel sat down at the other side of the bed. 'What is your name?' he asked.  
  
'Cyane,' the girl said.  
  
'You have no other name?' Angel said, 'Who was your mother?'  
  
'Efua, highpriestess of light,' with a sad tone she continued: 'Three days ago, my mother disappeared, leaving nothing behind but this jewel and a letter in which she told me to keep the jewel around my neck no matter what. I had a vision tonight in which I saw a great beast, shifting shapes. Someone told me to come here, but as I opened the door, I felt this great tug at my head though I was alone. I fell and next thing I remember is waking up here.'  
  
When Cyane fell asleep, Connor stayed in a high chair as the rest went to get some sleep. His mind was racing. He had read in the scrolls Wesley showed them that only the Bearer or someone of the same strenght could defeat Samtek. Unless he was very mistaken, Cyane had seen Samtek in her vision. He was looking for here, that was for sure. The only question was how he was going to attack. Since he had telepathic gifts, he could try to destroy her from within. There had to be some way of protecting her.  
  
He was just dozing off when Cyane's sleep became restlessly. She started to turn back and forward and her hands started to pull her hair. Her facial expression was one of great pain. She looked as if she was fighting an unseen enemy. Suddenly, she screamed. The yell set his teeth on the edge. As if on command, all the others ran in as Connor tried to calm her down. He pressed her wrists to the the bed.  
  
Suddenly, her eyes snapped open. Full of fear she said: 'He'll kill me.' 


End file.
